1. Field of the Invention
The invention is a permanent wave roller used to hold a lock of hair while a permanent wave solution is applied to the lock of hair. The device is used to form a curl which follows the natural contour of the head.
2. Description of the Related Art
Two types of rollers are used for curling hair. One type is the setting roller, typically an open tubular roller, enclosing a coil spring such as is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,348,554 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,718,144; another type is the permanent waving roller used in conjunction with chemicals to effect a permanent curl as is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,921,394; 2,391,284; and 4,349,038.
A bendable permanent wave roller is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,006.
A hair setting roller is used after hair is shampooed to curl the hair. The curl is not permanent and lasts only until the next time the hair is washed. The function of the open area in the hair setting roller is to allow moisture to evaporate. No chemicals are used with hair setting rollers except perhaps a setting gel or lotion similar to a mousse.
A permanent wave roller is used with a setting or relaxing solution to permanently curl or wave the hair.
In using a permanent wave roller, a square of dry paper is wrapped around the end of a lock of hair; the lock is then rolled around the permanent wave roller, the roller is rolled up to the head and then the roller is fastened to the head by an elastic band and pins.
A setting or relaxing solution is poured over the roller, saturating the lock of hair and inducing curl.
The permanent wave roller is worn for about a half hour depending on the hair type, until the curl takes.
Saturation of a lock of hair tightly wound around a solid permanent wave roller takes a substantial period of time for the solution to pass through the lock of rolled up hair, to saturate each hair in the lock and to saturate the end paper.
The current art, generally rigid, permanent wave roller can be rolled up to the skull only to a line tangent to a point on the curved skull. If the roller is flexible and is bent to follow the natural curve of the skull, the ends of the roller stretch the hair, as the roller attempts to recover its natural shape; it is then uncomfortable to wear because of the pulling of the roller.
The majority of permanent wave rollers are made of plastic because setting or relaxing lotions are corrosive to most metals.